Faculty / Staff
The Membership Policy contains the criteria and process governing membership in the Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (YSGPS).
View the (PDF file) Graduate Supervision Checklist to learn more on discussing mutual expectations between a graduate student and a supervisor.
Enhancing Your Supervisory Toolkit: A Workshop Series for Graduate Student Supervisors
Facilitated by: Diana Brecher (Psychology) and Nancy Walton (YSGPS)
Supervisory roles are essential for faculty, shaping the future of graduate students and the academic community. To be an effective supervisor, one must master mentorship, advanced communication, and the art of providing constructive feedback—all essential for fostering students' professional development and intellectual growth. While supervising offers opportunities, it can also present challenges – such as misaligned expectations and communication – testing even the most experienced supervisors. Navigating these requires skill and resilience.
We hope that this workshop series will help you reflect on your supervisory style, discuss challenges, and explore factors affecting graduate students' performance. Whether you are a new faculty supervisor, looking forward to taking on your first graduate student or have extensive supervisory experience, our goal is to help you expand and enhance your supervisory toolkit to help transform challenges into opportunities for growth and success.
All faculty engaged in graduate student supervision and supervision of postdoctoral fellows are welcome to attend. Join Dr. Diana Brecher (Psychology) and Dr. Nancy Walton (YSGPS, Nursing) for the launch of this series of workshops!
Information about 2025-26 workshop offerings will be available in Fall 2025!
Workshop #4: "What happens when...?" - An opportunity for you to share your questions
Friday, February 7, from 10:00 am - 11:30 am via Zoom
Description: Join Dr. Diana Brecher and Dr. Nancy Walton for our fourth workshop of the academic year. In this workshop, we are hoping to hear from you about challenging or "outside the typical" types of scenarios you've experienced as a faculty supervisor. In the registration link, there is an opportunity for you to provide questions to us ahead of the session about a situation as a faculty supervisor (that you have experienced, seen, heard about) and that you might have questions about how to navigate, i..e, "what happens when....?"
As an example, faculty supervisors often ask, "What happens when my graduate student stops responding to emails or calls, and doesn't show up to meetings? How many times do I keep trying the student? Are there other responsibilities I have if this happens? Who can provide support and when should I ask them to help?"
Other examples might be scenarios related to managing thesis or examination committees, navigating graduate student health and wellness challenges, graduate students not accepting feedback, or navigating unique challenges experienced by international graduate students.
We want to hear from you with YOUR questions and "what happens when...?" scenarios ahead of the session and we can then tackle them together, as a group, and share our experiences, strategies and advice!
Workshop #5 Navigating conflict in the student-supervisor working relationship
Friday, March 28, from 12:30 - 2 pm via Zoom
Description: Join Dr. Diana Brecher and Dr. Nancy Walton for our fifth workshop of the year in which we will focus on exploring conflict within the student-supervisor working relationship. Together, we will examine ways to navigate conflict in the student-supervisor relationship in a constructive manner. We’ll look at common sources of conflict, discuss effective ways to prevent misunderstandings and avoid potential conflict, and share practical strategies for managing disagreements that may arise. Through interactive discussions and real-life examples, we hope to focus on improving communication and building stronger, more supportive and productive supervisory relationships.
Workshop #1: The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Graduate Student Supervision
Friday, October 18, from 10:00-11:30 am via Zoom
Description: In this first workshop, we will explore what it truly means to be an "effective" supervisor and examine our own supervisory styles. We'll discuss common challenges faced in supervision and explore the vital connection between emotional intelligence and successful supervisory practices. Join us for a thoughtful conversation on these important and connected topics.
Workshop #2: Dandelions and Orchids: Tools for Giving Feedback to Graduate Students
Friday, November 22, from 10:00 am - 11:30 am via Zoom
Description: In our second workshop, we'll explore various approaches to giving feedback, including our personal reactions to receiving it. Together, we'll work through specific scenarios relevant to feedback, and discuss how mindset influences the reception of feedback. We'll also consider effective ways to "frame" feedback, address "mistakes," and practice corrective feedback techniques.
Workshop #3: Promoting Graduate Student Wellbeing: Understanding Stress and Performance
Friday, December 13, from 10:00 - 11:30 am via Zoom
Descrition: Join Dr. Diana Brecher and Dr. Nancy Walton for our third workshop of the semester, second workshop, in which we'll explore the relationship between graduate student wellbeing and academic performance. We'll talk about signs that stress is affecting performance, and some supportive strategies for faculty supervisors. Finally, we'll provide some information on the TMU resources, supports and referrals that can support graduate students whose wellbeing may be at risk."What happens when...?" - An opportunity for you to share your questions.
Each year, six awards are available for deserving candidates; one is allocated to a faculty member in each of Toronto Metropolitan University’s faculties.
